


Sharpen

by down



Category: Magic Knight Rayearth
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, kind of a make-over except not really a make-over just playing with a little make-up?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 22:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11610543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/down/pseuds/down
Summary: Fuu was a little curious about the makeup Umi had been wearing lately.





	Sharpen

**Author's Note:**

> For Fuu week 2017 on fuckyeahrayearth on Tumblr (though I originally wrote half a line of it for Umi week and it's not like it doesn't work for both XD)
> 
> It’s a fic about make-up and I haven’t worn any for er at least a decade. (I’m now allergic to pretty much everything). I was originally taught makeup at about the point this would notionally be set, so hopefully the minimal details are accurate-ish. Only I was taught makeup for dance competitions, therefore the point was DRAMA, not subtlety *grins*.

“You’ve been having fun with makeup lately, haven’t you, Umi?” Fuu asked, watching curiously as Umi pulled the bulging zipped bag from her backpack and dropped it on the large dresser the three knights shared here. It wasn’t so large a bag, really, but it was certainly having its capacity tested. 

Umi shrugged, turning back to her rucksack and pulling out the clothes she’d had tucked below her schoolbooks, then tugging her tie loose and starting to undo the buttons on her blouse. “I like to know what I look like when people are looking at me,” she said, and Fuu had been about to turn away politely but that made her stop where she was and blink at her friend. 

“I beg your pardon?” 

Tossing her blouse on the bed, Umi went for the zip on her skirt next, grinning at Fuu and completely unselfconscious. “I mean, some days I just want to be as sparkly as I feel, or I want to be sparkly because if I _look_ it I know I’ve a better chance of _feeling_ it. But mostly - the way Mama taught me, it’s about making yourself look more like yourself. Like - when they sharpen photos, on computer. It - defines things a bit more. And then people won’t find it as easy to see if I’m tired, or scared, or feeling ill.” She shrugged. “Also, spots, bleh.” 

Tilting her head, Fuu ran that through again, and it did rather make sense. Though it didn’t quite match what people in her class said about girls wearing makeup. She and Kuu hadn’t ever really talked about that kind of thing, and now that Kuu was away at University it would be rather harder to go back and ask her about it. “It’s not about boys at all, then?” 

Snorting, Umi waved a hand. “Who needs _boys?_ Nah, it’s all for me, no one else. …Especially the sparkling!” She’d shimmied her skirt off by this point and pulled on the pair of shorts she’d brought, but then she paused, looking at Fuu. “…Do you want to have a go?” 

“…I’m not certain I’m ready to sparkle,” Fuu told her, trying not to stare at her bra. “And I don’t know anything else would show, through my glasses.” 

“I guess you’d be more of a shimmer person than a glitter one.” Umi grinned. “But sure, it’ll work even with the glasses, especially if what you want to try is just a little extra definition. Just if you’re interested! You don’t have to be, I’m not going to threaten you with mascara or anything. I’ve even got remover here if you want to get rid of it straight away.” 

Fuu considered it while Umi waited, still in just lacy bra and some shorts, which was really rather distracting. Eventually, she nodded. What was the worst that could happen, she looked terrible and had to wash it off? 

Pulling a stool across, Umi sat down in front of Fuu and set out things across the edge of her bed - with a casual wave and a spell to clean all her brushes, which she looked rather smug about pulling off, and Fuu started to giggle. Umi ignored that. “Our skintone’s not too different, and - no, wait, perfect! I grabbed foundation one shade off from mine last time, I bet it matches you _perfectly_. It’s about right for me in the middle of winter, but right now I’ve been outside too much for it… here, do you mind if I…?” She reached out, and Fuu nodded slightly; Umi slid Fuu’s glasses off carefully, making sure they didn’t tangle in her hair. 

Without them, the world was a blur of colour and motion, and Fuu bit her lip. She felt strangely naked. But Umi’s hands were gentle and sure as she used a sponge to dab a little of something cool on Fuu’s face, and smooth it over her skin. 

“Always start with moisturiser,” Umi murmured, and her fingers under Fuu’s chin tilted her head back a fraction. “Now concealer, to brighten under the eyes - have you been sleeping badly?” 

“I - I always have shadows under my eyes,” Fuu murmured, letting her eyes close and relaxing into the careful touch. “With my glasses on, no one notices much.” 

“Mm. A little foundation, next.” A large soft brush stroked across her skin, and she felt… strange.

In fact, she felt like a cat curled up in a sunbeam - warm and content, and just about to start purring.

She stayed mostly silent as Umi worked, humming soft affirmations when asked if she was alright, if this was okay. She did have to open her eyes at the end, for the mascara - just a little, on the ends, Umi told her. Fuu felt like she was just waking up; she held still and tried not to move, trusting Umi to wield the little black brush so close to her eyes she could actually see it. And then Umi was sitting back, job done. 

Or, not quite. “Here, final touch,” she said, and held Fuu’s glasses out for her.

“…You don’t want me to look first? If I get close enough to the mirror I would be able to mostly see.” 

“Maybe, but your glasses are part of you, I was trying to work _with_ them. I want to see if I managed it!” Umi shrugged - Fuu could see the motion, if not the detail. “Besides, I think your glasses are cute.” 

“Really?” Fuu accepted them and slid them back on. Umi came back into focus, and reached out to tap Fuu lightly on the nose with one finger. 

“Really. Now, go see what you think.”

Fuu slid from the bed and over to the dresser, and now she blinked at herself. It was… startling. 

She looked like herself, but… more so, somehow. There was nothing obvious, but somehow attention was being drawn to her eyes - yes, even behind her lenses - and to her lips, too, which were just a little richer in colour than they had been, and just barely shining. She certainly understood why Umi had chosen the analogy she had.

“So?” Umi came up behind her, leaned on her shoulder, and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. “Did I do good work? Do you want to take it off?” 

“It’s… strange.” Fuu reached up and poked her own cheek, feeling the slightly velvet-like texture of her skin with its thin powder coating. “I’ve never really noticed the shape of my lips before now?” 

“You have good lips,” Umi told her. “Though I think I messed up there, I’m staring at them more now than I was doing before.” She said it, and then blinked, and bit her lip. “Er. Maybe ignore I said that?” 

Fuu looked at Umi in the mirror, at the warm colour of her cheeks - which wasn’t blush, but blushing. “Do you look at my lips a lot?”

Crossing her arms, Umi pouted at her. “I dunno, d’you like this bra? Every time I wear it you watch my chest until you realise you’re doing it.” 

“I - do?” Fuu started to smile, corners of her mouth curling up. “Is that why you’re sitting around half-naked, then? You think I like your underwear?” 

Umi bit her lower lip, flush spreading down her neck and starting to creep across her chest. “You didn’t answer me.” 

“It does look good on you.”

“…If you wanted to touch…” 

“Umi!” Fuu spun around to stare at her directly, and Umi was smirking at her now, still flushed, eyes sparkling. 

“What? I’m just saying…” 

Fuu cut her off there, firmly, by reaching up and wrapping a hand in Umi’s hair, at the base of her neck. Umi leaned in obediently when Fuu tugged, and their first kiss was full of breathless laughter - their second was just breathless, and as the kissing went on Fuu _did_ slide her hand up from the smooth skin over Umi’s sides to the curve of her chest, tracing the edge of that lace with a fingertip. 

Eventually, Fuu pulled away, grinning when Umi swayed after her with a disappointed sound. “I think that’s probably enough kissing for a first date, don’t you?” 

“We haven’t gone on a date yet!” Umi protested. 

“Mm. I know. So you’re taking me out for a walk round the gardens now, at least, right?” Fuu tried not to look too much like she was plotting, and probably failed. Especially given the way Umi trailed after her as she headed back to the makeup. “Or if you come up with a better plan, maybe we could kiss a little more later…” She picked up the lipgloss that had been quite thoroughly removed - though there was a hint of it on Umi’s lips, and a smudge of it down her neck. 

With Umi watching, she picked up the little handheld mirror that had fallen from the bag, flipped it open, and carefully added a new layer of gloss. “Don’t you want to show off your handiwork?” She turned and smiled full-blast at Umi, noting with satisfaction the way Umi’s gaze went straight to her lips again. 

So, okay, makeup was for herself. And if what she wanted was for Umi to keep watching her like that, it was a pretty effective tool.

Umi made a small strangled noise, and turned away, grabbing a top and pulling it on. She wiped the gloss off her neck before finding her shoes, but left her lips untouched. “Well, then?” She offered her hand to Fuu, pulling a face at her. Fuu laughed, and took it, already looking forward to kissing under the flowering trees in the orchard where the dappled shade filtered the sunlight and made her want to linger. She’d just have to make sure Umi led her that way.


End file.
